MDC-T to take over Bulawayo offices




Thokozani Khupe
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MDC-T led by acting president Dr Thokozani Khupe is expected to take over the Bulawayo offices that were now being used by the MDC-Alliance this week.

The move comes after the party also successfully re-occupied Harvest House in Harare after the Supreme Court, in April ruled that MDC-Alliance leader Mr Nelson Chamisa was not the legitimate MDC leader in terms of the party’s constitution and subsequently ordered the convening of an extra-ordinary congress within three months to elect a new president.

MDC-T secretary-general, Mr Douglas Mwonzora said that the party leadership will be in Bulawayo today. He, however, dismissed speculation that the party will also be recalling some councillors in the city.

“We will be coming specifically for parliamentary business but I will also take the advantage to meet the president, Dr Khupe and the party leadership tomorrow. As for the taking over of the party offices in Bulawayo I necessarily don’t need to be there in person.

“As for the recalling of Bulawayo councillors there is no truth in the matter because we have not got a report from the province. What should be explained is that the Harare councillors were recalled in April with the initial list of MPs that was recalled, the reason there has been a lot of talk around them is because the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works only just wrote to the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec),” said Mr Mwonzora.

An impeccable party source, however, revealed that the party could take advantage of the presence of Mr Mwonzora to re-occupy the provincial party offices.

“This the first time since the Supreme Court judgement that the secretary-general is in Bulawayo therefore as it stands he will meet with Dr Khupe and also the Bulawayo structures, we have also been told to be prepared to go to the Bulawayo offices similar to what occurred in Harare,” said the source.

The MDC-A and MDC-T have been in a legal dispute for some time, starting with Dr Khupe’s objection before the 2018 election that Mr Chamisa had become the MDC-T leader and hence the leader of the MDC-Alliance, which grouped a number of opposition parties.

Since then, Mr Chamisa has argued that the MDC-A is a political party that has succeeded the parties that went into the alliance, while Dr Khupe has argued that the MDC-T still exists.

After taking control of the MDC-T, Dr Khupe’s camp went on to recall four MPs who won their seats on the MDC-A ticket, but who were originally nominated by the MDC-T.

The High Court at the end of last month found that the MDC-A was not a legal entity, instead being just an electoral pact by a group of political parties which retained their previous existence.

Source – sundaynews